Show your support for affordable homes as the King County Council proclaims Affordable Housing Week.

Healthy Building Network & International Living Future Institute
The Intersection of Material Health and Energy in Affordable Housing (Seattle)

3:00 – 5:00 pm
12th Avenue Arts
1660 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122

Come and connect with national experts and local practitioners to learn about healthy material selection and energy conservation for affordable housing.

This free workshop is designed for developers, operators, architects, contractors, innovators, and industry leaders in the affordable housing field, but welcome to all seeking a healthier world. Register here.

Tuesday, May 16th

Mercy Housing NW is eager to share strategies for health and wellness engagement informed by our experience as the lead organization for the King County Housing-Health Partnership. The agenda includes a panel discussion with a diverse group of Community Health Workers (CHWs) representing Mercy Housing Northwest, Neighborcare Health, Global to Local, and the YWCA. These CHWs are working with low-income residents of South King County and Seattle and most of them are based in public and affordable housing communities.

From 12-1pm there will be a lunchtime keynote by Cuc Vu, Director of the City of Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. Ms. Vu will be speaking on the challenges refugees and new immigrants may be facing in the current political climate and how affordable housing organizations can support these communities.

The Sophia Way
Affordable Housing on the Eastside and Tour of Sophia’s Place (Bellevue)

4:00 – 5:30 pm
Sophia’s Place
3032 Bellevue Way
Bellevue, WA 98004

Arthur Sullivan, of A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) will lead a discussion of affordable housing on the eastside. This will be followed by a tour of Sophia’s Place, a 21-bed shelter for women operated by the Sophia Way.

Bellwether will host a panel discussion focused on the role the tech sector can play in solving the affordable housing crisis featuring three local industry leaders. Rebekah Bastian, VP of Product at Zillow, Ethan Phelps-Goodman, founder of Seattle Tech 4 Housing and Seattle in Progress, and Jonathan Sposato, CEO of PicMonkey and creator of WeCount.org, will share their insights about leveraging technology and the human capital of Seattle tech companies for social good. Bellwether’s CEO Susan Boyd will moderate the discussion, which is free and open to the public and will include light refreshments. Click here to register.

Wednesday, May 17th

Evergreen Court offers affordable rental housing and assisted living care for seniors 62 and older. DASH’s expansion into senior assisted living marked the first assisted living senior project using low-income housing tax credits and tax-exempt bond financing in King County. Take a tour of this 84 unit property and meet DASH’s dedicated staff and residents. Snacks and refreshments provided.

Thursday, May 18th

Seattle University Project on Family Homelessness
Renters’ Rights 101 (Seattle)

The Seattle University Project on Family Homelessness will host a free renters’ rights workshop where new tenants can consult with a panel of experts on what to expect when renting in Seattle for the first time. Featuring speakers from the Tenants Union of Washington State, Be:Seattle and Capitol Hill Housing, the workshop will include a quick overview of standard practices and important things for first-time renters to know before entering a rental contract. The experts will also talk about how tenants can have a voice in creating opportunities for renters in Seattle, including the new Capitol Hill Renter’s Initiative. This workshop is designed for students and new renters, but anyone who wants to know more about their rights as a renter is welcome to attend. Pizza will be available to those who register in advance at www.renters101.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Shan Yonamine, [email protected].

Outstanding local musicians will bring Brazilian forro and jazz, and pay tribute to Marc Ribot in a benefit for the Coalition on Homelessness! Advance tickets are just $15. Reserve a table to enjoy The Royal Room’s great food and drink, or get tickets at the door.

Set 3 (10.00 – 11.00) EntreMundos Quarteto – An electrifying Seattle-based band who bring to the stage an uplifting and kinetic mix of deep Brazilian roots flavored with world rhythms—a deft blending of funk, jazz and soul melding with the classic sounds of samba and bossa nova.

Live music, new friends and old, and every ticket supports the Coalition’s work for housing, safety, and justice in our community! Click to purchase tickets here.

Friday, May 19th

Join the conversation with keynote speaker, Donna M. Beegle, Ed.D. (founder and president, Communication Across Barriers) and our panel of experts to talk about the impact of race, gender, sexual orientation, and class on people who experience homelessness in our community.

Stand Against Racism is a signature campaign of YWCA USA to build community among those who work for social justice, and to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism in our communities.

Saturday, May 20th

LGBTQ Allyship believes that in order to build strong communities we must have strong leaders. We are building a leadership institute, where 15 individuals will be trained in civic engagement skills, anti-oppression values and deeply rooted in allyship theory of change. Leaders will learn from housing experts from city and state government and from organizations doing the work at ground level. Leaders will gain technical skills and become familiar with public speaking, story sharing in all forms of media, event planning, story-collecting for advocacy, advocacy skills community-led resource gathering, mobilization, community organizing skills and an analysis around the connection between racism, classism, sexism, adultism and ageism.

We Are Looking for:
1. 10 to 15 LGBTQ grassroot progressive advocates/activists
2. Ages 18 and up welcome, affected by housing instability
3. A commitment of (6) 5-hour training dates plus a 3-hour orientation
4. Ability to volunteer 5 to 7 hours a month
5. Ability to attend all trainings, planning meetings and social Gatherings (some exceptions allowed)
6. An open mind and a willingness to learn to be a better ally, advocate for LGBTQ youth and elders issues and approach work from an intersectional lens